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MADAWASKA 



MADAWASKA 



THOMAS G. DEVINE 



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RICHARD G. BADGER 

THE GORHAM PBESS 
BOSTON 



Copyright 1912 by Tkomaa G. Devine 
All rights reserved 






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Tke Gorham Prest, Boston, U. S. A. 



©CU31G262 



DEDICATED TO THE 
MEMORY|OF AN IRISH MOTHER 

In Ireland a Lily one day was seen to fade, 
Its Purity transferring to a little blue eyed maid. 
To her the Hills of Connaught in girlhood years 

did give 
The thought that in their shadows lay for all the 

things that live, 
While winsome Fairies taught her all" the gracious- 

ness they knew — 
The greeting of the Shamrock to the Sunbeam 

and the Dew. 
Thus blest she crossed the seas that stretch to 

Canada and came 
To grow to be a woman fair, and crowned another's 

name. 
But they needed her in Heaven and she had to 

go away. 
So beautiful is Heaven, so grand the great array. 
So wonderful the music, so glorious the light 
That souls of timid mortals there unused to such 

a sight. 
Were ill at ease and restive and fain again would 

roam — 
And they needed her in Heaven just to make them 

feel at home. 



INTRODUCTION 

Hills of my homeland! panoramic thought 

Ye hold for him who gazes, be the day 

Wintry, or dark with sullen showers fraught, 

Or bright and beautiful. In fine display 

Revealed, your treasures speak on either hand. 

Crag, peak and precipice and frowning bluff 

And tufted summit make a temple grand 

Whereon romance is chiseled in the rough, 

And solemn visaged tragedy sad eyed, 

And dimpled comedy — a wealth untold 

Of matchless wonders, ever multiplied 

For squire and knight of poesy, young and old, 

When fitful inspiration hides her face. 

And eager fingers may not longer trace. 

Doubtless, ye have forgotten long ago, 

The forest tales ye shaped to while away 

A wan lad's weary hours, when half in snow 

And buffeted by icy winds, ye lay; 

While he, from out a cabin's frozen pane, 

With wistful eye beheld and longed to be * 

Impervious to wind and snow and rain. 

Begotten to the wild life of the free. 

But he remembers and doth cherish still, 

And this his prayer is: in the halls of song. 

May there be someone worthy found to fill 

The books of beauty that to you belong — 

Some fervid singer, fearless, strong and true. 

Blood red of heart and eyed to eagle view. 



MADAWASKA 

PART ONE 



MADAWASKA 



Blinking high the Owl sat; 

Flew the Nighthawk rising, falling, 

In the moonlit heavens calling; 

Flitted through the wood, the Bat, 

Eerily and drearily; 

When rang Opeongo's cry, 

"Call the Forest, ye that fly." 

Came the lean, lank Gray Wolf howling; 
Came the Black Bear prowling, growling; 
Came the Mole and the Racoon, 
In the long ray of the moon, 
Tardily and hardily; 

Came the Lynx ferocious, heying 
From the mountains, crying, eyeing 
Everything that crossed his path. 
With his great green eyes of wrath, 
Fireful and ireful; 

Came the wily Fox and cunning; 
Came the fleet Deer running, shunning 
Tangled growth and sodden log; 
Came the Woodchuck and the Hog, 
Whistling and bristling; 

9 



Came the nimble Weasel creeping; 
Came the Squirrel leaping, keeping 
To the treetops; came the 'Munk; 
Came the Rabbit and the Skunk, 
Friskingly and whiskingly; 

Came the flat tailed Beaver stealing; 
Came the sly Mink squealing, wheeling; 
Came the Otter sleek and fat; 
Came the Marten and the Rat, 
Airily and warily; 

Came the Eagle soaring, sailing; 
Came the wild Goose railing, wailing; 
Came the Loon, the Duck and 'Hen 
From the dank grass of the fen, 
Flappingly and clappingly; 

Came the Partridge whirring, drumming; 
Came the Pigeon trumming, humming; 
Came the Crow with measured wing; 
Came each lesser feathered thing. 
Chattering and clattering; 

Came at Opeongo's call, 

Knowing not the why nor wherefore; 

Knowing she was mistress, therefore, 

Came they to her, great and small, 

Furious and curious; 

And as, shadowy, they broke 

Her white shore line, thus she spoke: 

"Children of the rocky highland. 
Children of the lowland foggy, 
Children of the wooded dryland. 
Children of the swamp ground boggy; 
10 



"Ye with ears that ever listen, 
Ye with nostrils ever scenting, 
Ye with eyes that ever glisten 
Ye with red fangs unrelenting, 

"Ye with noisy wing and speedy. 
Ye that kill not for your eating, 
Ye with belly ever greedy. 
Children of the forest, greeting." 

Like the murmur of the sky, 

Indistinct at first, and clearer 

As it rolls and rumbles nearer. 

Through the still night rang their cry, 

Hailingly and wailingly; 

And when shore had answered shore, 

Opeongo spoke once more: 

"Children, ye have called me mother. 
And as such your fathers knew me. 
And their fathers had no other; 
Children, I have called you to me 

"This to tell you. In my sleeping, 
I have smelt and seen a creature. 
Neither flying, neither creeping; 
Strange was he of limb and feature. 

"Like the Black Bear angered, standing; 
Crafty as the Fox and wary; 
Like the hungry Wolf pack, banding; 
Neither feathered, neither hairy. 

"Coming from the South, I saw him 
Dealing death to all about him. 
And your fiercest could not awe him, 
And your strongest could not rout him; 
11 



"And ye fled before him, thinking 
That afar he would not follow; 
But afar there was no drinking, 
Save the rainpool of the hollow; 

"And the Sun beat hot and hotter; 
And the rain cloud came not bursting; 
Till at length there was no water, 
And ye died afar off thirsting. 

"Children, ye have heard my story. 
Who among you scents the Danger? 
Who among you, sage and hoary, 
Sees the shadow of the Stranger .f*" 

Half in fear, they crouching lay; 

Half in wonder, at her staring; 

Silent, till with eyeballs glaring. 

Out there strode a dog Wolf gray, 

Gauntily and jauntily. 

0*er the group, his eye he ran, 

Shook himself, and then began: 

"Opeongo, mother, hear me. 
When the last red Sun was slanting 
Toward the West, and I drew near thee, 
Also came Astaga panting. 

"Him the Wolf pack long had known 
As a leader, sage and fearless; 
Aye, he was not fully grown 
Till they held him to be peerless; 

"And each she Wolf eased the bitter, 
Agonizing pangs of whelping 
By the thought, that in her litter 
One like him might soon be yelping; 

n 



"And the young dogs aped him playing, 
Thinking they might yet replace him; 
And their elders, apt at saying 
Evil of him, dared not face him. 

"As the puddle of the shower 
Is to thee, so I, beside him, 
Held myself, until the hour 
That we drank, and I espied him 

"In thy bosom with me seeming. 
There my limbs were stouter, longer. 
And my teeth the whiter gleaming, 
And I seemed, indeed, the stronger. 

"So I stood in wonder gazing. 
To as much as breathe scarce daring; 
Till his watchful eye upraising 
Read the meaning of my staring. 

"When, at once, he ceased his lapping. 
Wheeled, and sprang upon me scowling; 
Yet he did not catch me napping. 
For I fled before him howling. 

"But I ran as one half worried, 
And he quickly overtook me, 
And I felt his teeth deep buried 
In my neck; but when he shook me, 

"Back my strength came. From him 

breaking, 
Up I sprang and madly fought him, 
Under, over, ever making 
For his throat. At last I caught him. 
13 



"Hard and fast he struggled, vainly 
Trying to escape my choking; 
But I held him until, plainly, 
Life had left his nostrils smoking. 

"Suddenly there came a feeling. 
As of slumber, o'er me creeping. 
And my head grew dizzy. Reeling, 
Then I fell across him sleeping. 

"When I woke, I smelt the Black Bear, 
And I missed Astaga hoary; 
But I saw a bloody track, where 
Late had passed a carcass gory; 

"And I knew the Bear had stolen 
Dead Astaga. To his hollow. 
Though my limbs were sore and swollen. 
Him I straightway vowed to follow. 

"Now the red Sun had departed, 
And the early dew was falling, 
And I rose and would have started. 
When I heard the night birds calling; 

"And instead, I came unto thee. 
Thus far have I spoken. Mother, 
That the Pack and all who knew me. 
As a plain dog, common brother, 

"Might not wonder at my speaking. 
When you called the sage and hoary. 
Now I turn to what you're seeking, 
Making answer not for glory. 
14 



"You have dreamed. O mother, dream- 
ing 
I have heard the fat stag rutting, 
I have hcked the hot blood steaming. 
Licked and lapped it unto glutting. 

"Was my hunger not the keener, 
When I wakened from my dreaming? 
Was my shadow not the leaner. 
When the morning sun came beaming?" 

'Round the dog Wolf turned and back 
Went he to his wolfish brothers, 
Some applauding, a few others — 
Would-be leaders of the pack — 
Mumbling and grumbling. 
From a limb where he reclined. 
Loud the Lynx, Nenemo, whined: 

"Opeongo, by the white ray 
Of the moon last night, no Rabbit; 
And again, through all the bright day. 
Fasting is of mine no habit. 

"I would much prefer to wander 
Through a swamp with Rabbit teeming. 
Than to sit tonight and ponder 
On this creature of your dreaming. 

"He, at best, is of tomorrow. 
And I may not live to sight him. 
Wherefore should I trouble borrow? 
Wherefore should I plan to fight him? 

"For the thanks of future ages? 
Little good, indeed, 'twill do me 
15 



Dead, to rank among the sages. 
If in life my belly knew me 

"Only as a skilful reader 
Of the starry signs of wonder. 
Better to have been a feeder 
Hearty, and a son of plunder." 

Here an outcry stilled the 'Cat. 
"Mandor! Mandor!" cried the rear ones; 
"Mandor !" answered back the near ones, 
As a great Black Bear and fat. 
Swaggering and staggering. 
Gruffly through them poked his way 
To the water's edge to say: 

"Mother of the Forest, greeting. 
Brothers, greeting. Hear me, harken. 
Of the mountain berries eating. 
Just before the heavens darken, 

"Was I when I heard a groaning 
As of one in anguish dying; 
And I found Astaga moaning, 
And across him Olan lying. 

"We were friends in sunny weather 
And in cloudy — brothers nearly — 
Whelp and cub we grew together. 
And I loved Astaga dearly. 

"Therefore, when I found him dying, 
I tore Olan from him madly. 
And I licked my old friend trying 
To arouse him, calling sadly. 
16 



"Presently he woke and knew me. 
'Brun,' (he called me thus in laughter) 
Said he, *That which hither drew thee 
Whispers now of the hereafter. 

*'Go to Opeongo dreaming 
And the forest children frightened; 
I have seen the straight eye gleaming 
And the bones of many whitened. 

"There will come to be your master 
And to slay and wound and banish, 
One unlike you. Fast and faster 
From your old haunts ye will vanish. 

"From the Mother separated, 
You must die for want of water; 
But the Mother shall be mated 
And shall bear for you a daughter, 

"And the latter, winding, flowing 
Through the forest will go racing. 
You to welcome coming, going 
From the dread forever chasing; 

"But upon your deeds depending, 
Only will the Mother bear her 
As your lives, with virtue blending. 
Make the lives of others fairer.' 

"This Astaga told me dying. 
And he died and him I buried; 
And I heard the night birds crying, 
And to you I straightway hurried." 

17 



Mandor spoke — and bowed his head, 

All his bearing giving token 

Of a sorrow great, unspoken — 

Sorrow for Astaga dead, 

Evermore and nevermore. 

Opeongo spoke rejoiced, 

Faith and hope and council voiced: 

"Children, now is fear departed. 
Now are gone both doubt and sorrow. 
Now no longer heavy hearted. 
Shall I greet the coming morrow. 

*'Now a wondrous longing fills me. 
Now I know a nameless yearning. 
Now a joy un thought of thrills me. 
Now with love my heart is burning. 

"Go, my children, go and going 
With my blessing are ye laden. 
Go, in goodness ever growing, 
Go, beget the saving maiden. 

"Go and do the deeds that chasten. 
Live great lives nor be despairing. 
Go, my children, go and hasten 
Opeongo's promised bearing." 

Silently they went their way, 

Opeongo's words imbuing 

Each, and each, in fancy doing 

Deeds (to speed the natal day) 

Dutiful and beautiful. 

Opeongo 'round her drew 

Mist and moon and dreamed anew. 



18 



MADAWASKA 

PART TWO 



MAD AW ASK A 



Of the creatures of the wood, 

Flying high and lowly crawling, 

Gentle browed and fierce appalling, 

Fate, all in her own time good. 

Smilingly, beguilingly 

Chose the Beaver tribe benign 

To accomplish her design. 

ZiG 

Zig, the Beaver, loved to lie 
Listening to the swaying pines; 
Loved to watch the starlit sky. 
Wonder reading in its lines. 

Loved to wander from the throng. 
Planning triumphs great and grand 
For the magic of his song. 
When the time should come to hand. 

"I will join the winds at play, 
Till their cadences I catch. 
I will follow far the bay 
Of the storm, till I match 

21 



"Its deep grandeur; and the wail 

Of a love forever lost, 

I will master in the scale 

Of the hemlock, storm tossed. 

"And the silver stars among 
I will wander near and far, 
And the fame of one unsung — 
More of shadow than of star — 

"I will sing," he cried, "and time 
Shall not weary of my song, 
As the melody and rhyme 
Pass from age to age along." 

Crying which he gave his heart 
To the piecing of a dream, 
Toiling day and night apart. 
Building to a lofty theme. 

Years and years passed and the grey 
Of a Spring dawn breaking fine, 
Found him working on the lay. 
All it needed was a line; 

But though he had toiled and toiled 
For a year or more with it. 
All his genius it had foiled — 
Rhyme and reason would not fit. 

And he went and climbing nigh 
Unto Opeongo stood. 
Looking hard upon the sky 
For a sign or omen good. 

22 



But the heavens gave no sign; 
So when day had followed day, 
Slowly down the steep incline, 
In despair, he picked his way. 

"I will eat," he cried, "and sleep — 
Nature wore a merry eye. 
When she bade me find my keep 
In the hill tops of the sky." 

But his mate came up and said: 
"Zig, I bring thy get to thee; 
Bad of heart and hard of head, 
He will give no heed to me." 

And at once outsprang his son 
Driagging an uprooted tree 
Yet in verdure. "Willful one, 
Bravo!" Zig cried joyously, 

"In thee I behold the line 
That will make my song complete. 
Even as the leaf, the vine. 
I am hungry, let us eat." 

And when night dropped down serene, 
Over Opeongo high 
Dark a cloudy speck was seen 
Standing out against the sky. 

II 

With the cloudy speck, began 
Opeongo 's blest conceiving; 
Ended all her doubting, grieving, 
At the coming dread of man, 
23 



Masterful, disasterful; 

i^nd into her smile there crept 

Love maternal, as she slept. 

Reynold 

As in the sun her home before, 
The Beaver, Latta, moaning lay. 
She marked the cloud and when she bore 
A litter large, she blessed the day. 

But pup by pup they died, until 

One son alone was left to her. 

Then said she: "Son, be thine to fill 

The void they make," and stroked his fur; 

And further said: "Yon Cloud I know 
Beginning is of good to be. 
Some day thy deeds will make it grow, 
For never yet was son like thee." 

One dawn, she woke; he was not there, 
Curled up in slumber at her side. 
All day she sought him everywhere. 
At night, he came to her and cried: 

"O Mother mine, at dawn I heard 
A ringing call among the hills. 
As when some stranger flightsome bird. 
Wing-weary, stays its flight and trills, 

*T pricked my ears; alert and keen 
I listened to the echo die; 
But never throat of bird unseen 
Gave utterance to such a cry. 



"Again I heard it and again, 
Clear falling on the morning air, 
And I forgot thee there and then, 
And rose to follow anywhere. 

"Out in the open of the wood, 
I saw my brothers gathered all. 
The cry, ah then I understood! 
It was the Beaver battle call. 

"And as I looked, I seemed to see 
The storied heroes of the past. 
Arrayed in might and majesty, 
In other shapes and forms cast; 

"Old tales were told, old songs were sung; 
And pledges passed to do or die; 
Till tongue found echo deep in tongue, 
And eye struck kindred spark in eye. 

"And scarcely knowing what I did, 
I joined the throng and marched away, 
Light hearted as a youngster bid 
A-scampering to merry play. 

"We crossed the hills; the foe, we found 
Prepared to meet us in the sun. 
We fought him but he held his ground. 
Due to the mighty strength of one. 

"They called him 'Reynold;' and he fought 
As Fuger in the olden tale — 
'Such havoc everywhere he wrought 
That bravery itself did quail.' 

25 



"Big as a half grown whelp and quick 
As any Lynx, he held a hill, 
The ground about him strewn thick 
With dead and dying, all his kill. 

"Again we charge, again retreat; 
We circle, separate and fight; 
But all our plans end in defeat, 
Each time because of Reynold's might. 

"We hold a council and decide 
To charge again; and in the fray. 
That six of us shall slyly hide 
Among the dead, in Reynold's way. 

"Then, when the chance presents, leap out 
And with the others bear him down, 
And put the hated foe to rout, 
And win a well deserved renown. 

"This did we; and O Mother, I 
Was first to seize the great brown throat ! 
Was first to catch the smothered cry! 
And first to tear the bloodstained coat! 

"Think you, O Mother, that yon sign 
Has grown through my deed? It seems 
To larger be." "O son of mine. 
Fond offspring of my cherished dreams, 

"Well have you done and bravely fought, 
As well becomes your sire's son; 
But tell me, tell me, is there nought 
Of pity in the deeds you've done? 
26 



"For surer is the sign to grow. 
That hangs o'er Opeongo still, 
By act of mercy, than by blow 
That only aims to maim or kill; 

**And if great fighting drew the grace 
That makes the Cloud to grow and grow. 
Then Reynold must be given place. 
Although defeated and laid low." 

"O Mother, in the heat of fray, 

I neither thought to spare nor kill; 

But only to achieve the day, 

As in a game of strength and skill. 

"And yet, in thinking of the fight, 
I now recall one act, but one. 
So small I had forgotten quite, 
One little act of pity done. 

*"Twas when the foe, defeated fled; 
And chasing on and on we swept; 
I chanced across a Beaver dead. 
Snug at her side a Puppy slept. 

'T stopped to kill, but thoughts of thee 
Withheld me, and away I sped. 
O Mother, it can hardly be 
Through this the sign grows overhead!" 

Ill 

Grew the magic Cloud apace, 
Till it seemed a fragment torn — 
x\nd in clear skies tossed forlorn — 
From the heavens angered face, 

27 



Lowering and glowering. 

Though she neither saw nor heard, 

Conscious, Opeongo stirred. 

Tamarnock 

Star by star, night hid her treasures; 
As she laid each gem away. 
Some wild thing, in treble measures. 
Woke to usher in the day; 

Till a lone star was left gleaming. 
As it faded in the sky. 
From the Beaver village dreaming, 
'Rose Tamarnock's boastful cry: 

'*Bold art thou, O Star declining. 
Thus to linger till the light 
Of my daughter's white soul shining 
Through her eyes dispels the night, 

"When thy sisters without number 
And their queen, the moon so chaste. 
Ere she wakes from out her slumber, 
To their waning speed in haste! 

* 'Quick, O Star, she wakes! Good morrow 
Little daughter! Why those tears? 
Has some phantom thing of sorrow 
Crossed thy dream of girlhood years? 

"It is nothing. Kiss me. There now. 
Things are as they ought to be. 
I must hasten yonder where now 
Stern duty beckons me." 
28 



And Tamarnock left her, going 

To the mound where daily he 

Sat in judgment, haughty, knowing 

He and his from taint were free. 

But no culprit waited quaking; 
So he hied him to the shade, 
Where he dozed for hours, waking 
Startled at the outcry made 

By a Beaver wild with terror, 

In the woods beyond; and lo, 

One was brought who, of her error. 

Seemed ashamed that they should know; 

For her head was thickly covered 
With the broad leaves of a tree. 
Which her pride had deftly hovered 
To a mask; and sobbing she 

Stood; the while, to her dishonor 
They bore witness, telling how, 
Unawares, they came upon her 
With a lover. "Even now, 

"Cold he lies," cried one. "He fought us 
While she fled, her face unseen, 
To the Cloud Priest Lor who brought us. 
As you see, the wench in green; 

"And he warned us thus to take her. 
And to pray you, in his name, 
Not to question her or make her 
Lift the leaves that hid her shame, 
29 



"Till he come." Tamarnock (knowing 
If he granted Lor's request, 
They would say that it was owing 
To their kinship, making jest) 

Was intent upon unmasking 
The fair culprit; all the more, 
As he felt that in the asking 
Lor would cover his own sore. 

Priest and judge were kinsman; nearer. 
Since each had a daughter fair 
Of an age, who friends were, dearer 
Than two sisters; and the pair 

Were so matched that one was taken 
For the other, often time: 
And Tamarnock's trust unshaken 
And his confidence sublime, 

Rudely shocked were, at the mention 
Of Lor's name and at the sight 
Of the maid who claimed attention; 
For he fancied in the slight, 

Shrinking lass before him weeping, 
He beheld Lor's daughter sweet; 
And he thought the Priest, in keeping 
Her thus hidden, fain would cheat 

Stalking gossip of its quarry. 
But, he also thought he saw 
In her plight, so strange and sorry, 
Chance to glorify the law, 
30 



Which was most to him. He ordered 

Them to strip her; when a cry, 

In the shrubbery that bordered 

On the court ground, drew each eye 

From the maid, and Lor appearing 
Claimed their notice. "How is this?" 
Shouted he, once in the clearing, 
"I but gave to you one miss." 

At his words they turned, beholding 
That where one had been, were two 
Hidden by the leaves enfolding 
Head and features; and they knew 

Lor had tricked them; but by reason 
Of the fact that Priest was he. 
They could not denounce his treason 
Or chastise his perfidy; 

And perplexed, they stood awaiting 
What Tamarnock had to say. 
He, in angry voice vibrating, 
Thjundered: "Tear the leaves away; 

"And the guilty one discover 
By her eyfes; and let her be 
Who she may, as with her lover. 
So with her." At his decree 

Stripped the maids were, Lor protesting. 
"It will do no good," he said, 
"For the leaves are weeds investing 
All they touch with swelling red." 
31 



Which was true; the masks concealing 
Heads, so swollen as to be 
Sightless things of red, revealing 
Nothing of identi^jy. 

And Tamarnock's ire growing. 
He commanded: *'Make them speak, 
Using pain if need be, showing 
What we seem in vain to seek." 

Roughly seizing one they urged her. 

But without avail, to say 

Who she was. They would have scourged 

her 
With their tails, when Lor cried, "Stay! 

"Wait a while; perhaps the swelling 
Will go down and you may know." 
But Tamarnock stopped him, telling 
Them to beat her. While the blow 

First to fall was yet descending, 
"Hold!" he cried, "Her guilt is plain. 
Else the other, bravely bending 
To your will, would save her pain. 

"Turn to her," he added. Quitting 
One, they to the other went, 
Whereupon, her guilt admitting, 
She they left, by anguish rent 

Cried out : "Spare her ! She is blameless ! 
She Lor's daughter is; and I 
Am Tamarnock's, henceforth, nameless. 
Honor her and let me die." 
32 



"Die!" they cried out, towards her making 
Willing, eager to attack; 
While she stood there quailing, quaking; 
But Tamarnock waved them back. 

"Long before your law appointed 
Me your Judge," he said, "her cry 
Stirred the Forest, and anointed 
Me her father; and shall I 

Fail her now? Your law permits me 
Her to pardon or condemn; 
And I pardon, which unfits me 
To be longer Judge. The stem 

"Of a flower here is breaking; 
There a pining bud would die; 
Here a songbird's heart is aching; 
There a wounded butterfly 

"Flutters vainly. We will cherish 
Such as these and love them so, 
Making all things, drooping, flourish. 
Little daughter, come. We go." 

And they went; and Lor, uplifted 
At the altar of the Cloud, 
Later turned to where it drifted 
Sullenly, and prayed aloud : 

"Gracious Cloud, not unavailing 
Is my sacrifice to thee — 
In thy spreading, sign unfailing 
Of thy pleasure, I can see." 
33 



IV 



Like a monster bird of prey 

Over Opeongo gloating, 

Hung the great Cloud, somber, floating, 

Shutting out the light of day, 

Moodily and broodily. 

Opeongo, wakeful now, 

Watched and waited, hot of brow. 

Narran 

In search of nook or corner of the wood 
Where others prowled not, neither thought 

to stray, 
The Beaver Hunos, on a bright day stood; 
And watched the sunbeams through a 

maple play. 

"A thousand merry dancers to the pipe 
Of hapj)iness." he mused; and later, when 
From out a patch of strawberries red ripe, 
A cidcket sang, he cried, "Sweet grace, 
Amen!" 

And later still a cedar, in old age 

Low fallen, caused him to exclaim : "No 

sound. 
Lest yonder dozing giant wake in rage." 
And when, at last, a likely spot he found — 

A place where flowers patterned the green 
Until it seemed a carpet, Violet, 
Hypatica; and Orchid in between. 
With overhead a canopy, where met 
34 



Cherry and plum, in blossom pink and 

white, 
"Here will I wait her coming sweet," he 

cried, 
"Of whom my dreams have been, my heart's 

delight. 
Fairest in all the wood, the Rainbow eyed. 

Whose profile beautiful revealed I've 

seen, 
So long in yonder sober cloud severe; 
And she will come to me, my own, my 

queen. 
Some day, I know; and I will wait her 

here." 

While yet he spoke, a Beaver rustled out 
Who made as if to pass, unheard, unseen; 
But Hunos quickly put her plan to rout; 
For seeing her, he cried: "I did not mean 

"At all, sweet one, to frighten you away. 
The spot being pretty caught my passing 

eye; 
And I will go, that you in peace may stay." 
To which she, smiling, made him soft 

reply: 

"My home is yonder. I may come at will; 
Whereas, I judge you strange," and took 

to flight; 
While, all in wonderment, he watched, 

until 
She mingled with the woods and passed 

from sight. 

35 



"Hunos!" a rich voice fell upon his ear. 
He turned, and in a clump of fern espied 
A Beaver, whereupon he cried: "You here, 
Narran?" "And why not Hunos?" she 
replied. 

"You scarcely think I followed in your 

path? 
Narran leads others; never is she led." 
Wide eyed she looked at him, assuming 

wrath. 
"My how you frightened me, Narran," he 

said. 

"Hunos," she called to him, "come here a 
bit. 

What is the matter, dear? Are you unwell? 

Something is wrong with you; IVe not- 
iced it 

These many days, and I would break the 
spell. 

"Why did you leave me? Is your great 

love dead? 
Or is there someone whom you deem more 

fair?" 
"I was unhappy," answered he, "and fled. 
Hoping to find a lasting peace elsewhere." 

"Peace, peace," she murmured, "Peace 

becomes the dull. 
The clever need excitement, else they die." 
He did not answer her, and in the lull. 
The nook but just vacated caught her eye. 
36 



"Hunos," she cried, delighted, "Look, 

how sweet! 
Let us explore it." But he shook his head : 
*'I've known a snake to lurk in like retreat, 
A mossy bank of flowers for its bed." 

Whereat she laughed and gliding past 

him stopped, 
Close to the entrance, picking from the 

ground 

A flower white, which something late had 

dropped. 
Near dainty tracks, new made. "Ah, ha 

I've found 

"Your Rogueship out!" she cried, "What 

kind of dame 
Is your new fancy, Hunos? Dark or fair? 
A fighter for her virtue or a tame 
Young thmg?" "Narran," he shouted, 

"have a care. 

"At least, be loyal to the sex you own; ^^ 
And kindly think of one you do not know." 
"A silly speech," she answered, "And the 

tone 
Quite ill bred. Rather say : 'Narran, dear, 

go; 

And I will follow later, and the more 
Appreciate the charm of an art 
That does not make of comradeship a bore, 
And alternates between the head and 
heart.' 

37 



"Be gracious, Hunos, do," she rattled on, 
"And show me through your try sting 

place secure; 
Else will I enter all alone, and gone, 
I may return no more, caught in the lure 

"Of Beauty." "Go not in, Narran," he 

cried, 
"The place is sacred." "Sacred, did you 

say?" 
She questioned in high anger. "I have 

tried 
To bear with you; but you grow worse and 

may, 

"For ought I know, your mother next 

parade. 
My friends have told me, long, I was a 

fool. 
To think so of you — I who might have made 
Of anyone and everyone a tool. 

"But now I know; and I will leave you 

here." 
Which said, she turned and slowly walked 

away. 
The while he watched her, in his eye, a 

tear,. 
"Narran," he called out ere she vanished, 
stay. 

She heeded not. He followed her and 
said: 

"Narran, a moment ere we end the play. 

You gave me nothing; but you took in- 
stead, 

Mocking and scofl&ng in your clever way. 
38 



"And, all the while, within my heart I 

held 
Rebellious hatred of your sayings trite. 
You saw it often and, as often, quelled 
The threatened outbreak, waving in your 

might 

"The wand of jealous lust. Far, far be- 
yond. 

Barred up they keep the witless; but, not 
all. 

For she is sorely lacking who has pawned 

Her greatest treasure, virtue. You may 
call 

"This damsel *stupid' and that other 'dull' 
But if they've wit enough to pure remain, 
They are not, after all, so thick of skull; 
Nor yet, so wanting in essential brain." 

"Enough," she cried, "being witless, it 

will take 
Me half forever to digest your speech. 
We played for nothing and you win the 

stake. 
Go take it, Hunos, and no longer preach." 

Again she left him. Little caring where. 
She wandered on. At length, in agony, 
She flung her down and sobbing in despair. 
The Beaver of the Flower found her. She 

In pity asked her: "Have you suffered hurt 
That you should cry so?" In her grief 
Narran 

39 



Cried shortly ,^"No."fAt'Jwhich|rejoinder 

curt, 
The other stood abashed; then ventured: 

"Can 

"I not of service be in some small way? 
I live near by and I will care for you 
Till you recover." Touched, Narran cried 

;'Pray, 
Forgive my rudeness. Nothing can you 

do; 

"Unless it be to hurry up the friend 
Of broken hearts , Forgetf ulness . " * 'And 

yet". 

The other said, "were she to come, you'd 

send 
Her back again, a beggar, ere you'd let 

"Some things forever slip the fair domain 
Of memory sweet." Narran replied, 

"You show 
Discernment, one is little apt to gain 
From others, yet are you so young, I know, 

"Experience ne'er took you to her knee." 
The other answered, "All I know, I caught 
From haunch back lips that often speak 

to me." 
"How strange," Narran cried, "and just 

now, 1 sought 

"A little shape misformed, I once saw. 
Whose mother bore him for her joy alone; 
With never thought of blemish or of flaw. 
She planned to have him for her very own; 
40 



"Not even telling him who did beget 
But thinking, to surprise him some fair 

day. 
Alas, deformed was the looked for pet; 
And, all in hate, the mother turned away, 

"And left him helpless. Now, she wants 

him back." 
And where to look for him, she does not 

know, 
Unless, perchance, you put me on his track." 
The other said: "Forever to and fro, 

"My little friend is. Hark, I hear his song; 
And that's his laugh. He comes, and you 

shall see 
The whole wood brighten as he limps along. 
Farewell, I leave you to his drollery." 



Blew the wind a hurricane; 
Lightning flashed and roared the 

thunder; 
And the great Cloud, rent asunder, 
In a torrent belched the rain, 
Crashingly and flashingly. 
Day and night, and night and day, 
Opeongo tossing lay. 

CORRAT 

I 

Within the hearing of a quarrelsome 

pair. 
The ill-shaped Beaver, Corrat, sang; 
41 



And with his words and merry air, 
Their ears forever after rang: 

"Male and female born are we; 

War declared between. 

Truce betwixt — ^if truce there be- 



Binds the King and binds the Queen. 
Male and Female, if you please. 
Love is not an hour of ease. 

"Husband of one wife, for shame 
That you can't agree. 
Sol doth please his every dame, 
Sixty-five and hundreds three. 
Coward, what's a little strife 
In the balance due to life.f^ 

"Wife that can't command one mate 

Yet hath charms to lend. 

Look upon the moon in state; 

Millions, at her beck, attend. 

Folly makes a fool a day; 

Get you gone, she comes your way." 

II 

A bully loosed his thick lipped jaws to curse 
An awkward Beaver in the sight 
Of his young son; but Corrat's verse 
Restrained him, and he closed them tight: 

"Here is a Shrub, that thinks the golden sun 
Hangs in the scrubby parent tree, o'erhead. 
Blow softly. Wind; or else, alas undone, 
Illusion passes with returnless tread, 

4^ 



"From out a heart, that fact may enter in, 
Cold, pitiless and merciless, ne'er to leave; 
And gloomy sorrow dark, and loathsome sin 
May shelter seek; and there abide to grieve. 

"Better the lips of Nature sealed remain, 
Than parting, they should send thee forth to 

do 
So vile a thing. Sweep mountain high and 

plain; 
But whisper here, O Wind, I caution you." 

Ill 

A Beaver, shirking motherhood, made 

vow 
To self forget and mother be. 
When Corrat paused to gravely bow. 
Before a perfumed, fruitless tree: 

"O thing apart, nor *he' nor 'she.' 
Who shall say what thou art. 
Object of mystery .f^ 

"Creative might, the gift supreme. 
Alone thou darest slight. 
Marring the perfect dream 

"He dreamed, who rolled the planets 

round; 
And who doth now behold. 
With shaded eye profound, 

"Thee, oddity. O vast regret. 
Trait, thine peculiarly. 
Like never can beget!" 
43 



IV 



From all his kind away, despairing, stole 
A sickly Beaver, but he heard 
Corrat's bold challenge, from a knoll; 
And in his heart, the life blood stirred : 

"Come forth and fight! Come forth and fight, 

O tyrant. Nature! Let us see. 

If you esteemed my worth and might. 

When out of sorts you fashioned me. 

"O fool, you only shaped the clay; 

Who animated, made the spark 

To compensate; and so I say, 

*Come forth and fight,' from dawn to dark 

"And all night long; nor, will I cease 
To hurl my challenge, 'Forth and fight,* 
Till my good mother, Death, cries 'Peace,' 
And kisses me and croons, 'Goodnight.' " 



To one, who would between two lovers 

choose. 
And who yet knew not which to wed. 
Such council came from Corrat's muse, 
That choice fell on a third instead; 

"Life is, 'Come' and Death is, 'Go'; 
Love is, 'Give' and 'Take'; 
Now a kiss and now a blow. 
Now a thrill and ache. 
44 



''Mate the heart is what we do; 
And forget the mind. 
Which is folly, since it, too. 
Cleaves unto its kind. 

"Wed the one whose thought, you know 
You can make your own; 
Else just simply *Come' and 'Go* 
Leaving Love alone." 

VI 

In the last watch of the night. 
Where the pines are ever tossing, 
Ever interlacing, crossing, 
By the pale Moon's silver light, 
Simmering and glimmering, 
Opeongo bore her daughter, 
Madawaska, Hidden Water. 



45 



MADAWASKA 

PAKT THREE 



MADAWASKA 



From blue Opeongo down, 

Flew the Crow, Berango, croaking. 

Bird and beast alike provoking. 

To where Calabogie town, 

Hazily and lazily, 

Stands today; a pit, then deep — 

Home of them that crawl and creep; 

"Out of Opeongo flowing, 
Sparkling in the sunlight; growing 
Thoughtful in the shadows; gliding 
Through the level stretches; hiding 
In the pine lined passes; foaming 
O'er the rocky places; roaming 
Hither, thither, this way, that way, 
Madawaska makes a pathway. 
Low, as echoed echo dying. 
Now her song is. Now, the sighing 
Of the wind at night refraintive. 
Than her sobbing, is less plaintive. 
And again like thunder deadened. 
Dully hoarse, her anger leadened 
Smites the ear; and 'fore and after. 
Rings the ripple of her laughter. 
Flowers beckon to her praying, 
"Little Sister, lave us, playing." 
49 



Overhanging saplings, lispers, 
Sigh to her in lovesick whispers; 
While the White Pines o'er her tower, 
Primping, pluming by the hour 
As they see their lines deflected, 
In her waters deep reflected; 
And the song birds do their tuning 
To her humming and her crooning. 
*'But she has no heart. I know it; 
And, mark me, some day she'll show it. 
She but plays and, weary later, 
She will kill, the creature hater. 
Soon her spjash will sound above you. 
Therefore, come I, I that love you, 
To beseech you take to shelter, 
E'er she drives you, helter-skelter." 

Puffed, Berango needs must pause. 
Wings extended half and flapping; 
Snake and toad and lizard snapping, 
Watching him with gaping jaws, 
Motionless and notionless. 
Suddenly, a snaky head 
Found its tongue and swaying said : 

**0 Bierango, why this chatter? 
To thee, Crow, how can it matter 
What befalls the sandy Brule? 
Flesh and feathers art thou truly. 
I have seen thee spit a lizard, 
Whet thy beak and slash a gizzard, 
Go to sleep and waking cackle 
Prayerfully; but gall to tackle 
Office of a benefactor, 
I had thought beyond thee, actor. 
50 



Back and forth in all thy flying, 
Thou hast seen the great hole lying 
High above us and, as surely, 
Dost thou know, walled in securely, 
Water in its depths must tarry; 
Yet, thou comest here to harry 
With thy story of destruction. 
What, my friends is the deduction?" 

Down the snake in silence sank, 

His harangue being taken coldly; 

While Berango, strutting boldly. 

Like an orator of rank, 

Gratified, sfelf satisfied. 

Cocked his head and twanged his beak. 

And again essayed to speak: 

"Worthy fellow of the gutter, 
If to fret and fume and sputter. 
Does thee good, go to it, only 
Choose some spot deserted, lonely. 
Where the plaudits, justly due you. 
Cannot but be rendered to you. 
I have seen the hole you mention. 
Guessed its powers of retention; 
But my knowledge does not end there; 
For I know a spot, my friend, where 
Once let Madawaska enter. 
And there's nothing can prevent her 
Boring through; and, overpouring, 
She will tumble madly roaring; 
Filling, flooding, hole and burrow; 
Lev'ling trace and track and furrow; 
Sweeping all before her, making 
For the lower lands and taking 
51 



You and yours, a living dower. 

To that savage lord of power, 

Ottawa, at Arnprior, waiting. 

Eager for their hour of mating. 

As the spot is now, a layer 

Of a slatey clay will stay her; 

But, let something pierce, it, scraping 

And there can be no escaping, 

Opeongo's siren daughter. 

Bent on injury and slaughter. 



"Now my friends, there is abiding 

Here among you, somewhere hiding, 

A young turtle. Late, I caught her 

By this Ottawa; and brought her 

Here to crack her shell by dropping 

On yon rock. Alas, in flopping. 

She but grazed the rock and creeping 

Underneath it, found safe keeping. 

When Berango's maw would sample 

Turtle flesh, say for example, 

All the dainties in creation 

Make no satisfying ration 

If said turtle flesh be lacking; 

And Berango's peace attacking. 

Loud his maw will clamour, calling 

Ceaselessly, for turtle crawhng. 

Till his dreams are visions fitful. 

Of big turtles, by the pitful. 

Thus it is, and has been lately, 

With Berango. It is greatly, 

In his favor, so I take it, 

That it rests with you to make it 

Possible for him to render, 

To his maw the turtle tender 

5^ 



That is here among you hidden. 

Valueless, a guest unbidden; 

And the fact that you are giving 

What is his, by law of living, 

Will not make him the less grateful. 

In the day approaching fateful." 

Once again Berango's pause 
Was the signal for the swaying 
Of the snake, again displaying 
Mistrust of him and his cause. 
Dramatically, fanatically, 
Slow he swung from side to side, 
Hissingly and beady-eyed: 

"Brothers, Brothers, be not blind. 

Cursed is he who sells his kind. 

Let Berango ask the wing 

Of some fluffy feathered thing; 

But, let not the crawling breed 

Barter crawler to his greed. 

Shameful, shameful it would be; 

And besides, what guarantee 

Does he give us, that will say, 

He will go away to stay? 

He would have us live in fear 

Day and week and month and year. 

Dreaming ever of the dread 

He has pictured overhead. 

What is all this talk profound 

Of a spot that he has f oimd 

Through which water may not go? 

How, indeed, pray, can he know 

What the surface will withstand? 

What, the underlying sand? 

Brothers, Brothers, can't you see 

It is all crow trickery?" 

as 



Ere the snake could venture more 
Or Berango answer, croaking, 
Spoke the turtle, bravely poking 
Forth her head and bending o'er, 
Stoicly, heroicly, 
The high bank, meant to enthrall 
Madawaska like a wall: 

"Hold, my friends, and straightway falling, 

I will tumble from here, sprawling. 

Mindful of the crow's petition, 

Freely, of my own volition. 

Will I tumble. Meanwhile waiting. 

Hear me, if you will, debating 

Where the truth lies. Be not livid 

At Berango's picture vivid. 

There is no cause for alarm. 

Madawaska will not harm 

Any thing but, like a mother, 

Like a sister or a brother. 

Kind, forgiving, cheerful ever. 

Harsh and cruel never, never. 

She will bring you blessings many, 

Doing evil never any. 

I can hear her now, fast rising 

Back of me, and realizing 

That I keep our crow friend waiting 

Needlessly, I'll close by stating 

That the spot he found was centered 

By my claws and water entered 

Half an hour since and, losing 

Not a moment, now is oozing 

Through the sand. And now for falling 

From here, as I promised, sprawling." 



54 



As the turtle spoke she dropped 
Backwards and Berango, raging, 
Spread his wings in flight engaging; 
And the reptiles crawled and hopped 
Here and there and everywhere; 
And, fast forming, sang High Falls, 
Downing forest cries and calls : 

"Up and over and out I go, 
(Never to come back more) 
The sky above and the rocks below, 
And the wide, wide world before. 

"Never to dream like an idle stream 
With eyes that are shut half tight. 
But to gild by day the Sun's bright ray 
And to silver the Moon by night; 

"Never to cry or to sob or sigh 
But to laugh and to sing and shout; 
Never to dread what lies hidden ahead 
But to scoff at the spectre, Doubt; 

"Never to scold or to haggle and hold 
To a course that is out of the main 
But to bore to the line, be it never so fine. 
When the pathway of duty is plain; 

"Never to rant or to mumble in cant, 
But to speak from a true heart free; 
Never to ape thought or manner or shape. 
But to be what was meant to be me, 

"I go, I go. And, as swift I flow 
Along the Springtown shore. 



55 



To them that drink, there at my brink, 
The best of Nature's store — 

"Straight limbs, strong hands and eyes 

to see 
The comedy of Hfe, 
And hearts to feel its tragedy. 
And souls to welcome strife — 

'T will give, as I live; and then on and on 

To the Ottawa and to the sea 

From the womb to the tomb, through glory 

and gloom, 
On, on to my destiny." 



JUN 22 1912 



